Katie Volynets clinches WTA 125 title after Philadelphia’s long-awaited tennis return

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Aug 5, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Katie Volynets (USA) celebrates after defeating Stacey Fung (CAN, not shown) in second round qualifying play at Sobeys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Yesh Ginsburg

Katie Volynets started her 2026 Ennoble Care Philly Open final with a powerful backhand down the line. But from there, she was largely on the defensive, absorbing Tereza Valentova’s powerful forehands, serves and overheads.

The American gradually broke down World No. 57 Valentova’s game in a 6-3 7-5 win on Saturday, claiming her second WTA 125 title and her first since 2024. 

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“She was hitting so many winners in a row,” Volynets said of her opponent. “At any moment, she could step up and hit very powerful shots.”

Volynets, the World No. 91, did not drop a set en route to the title. She lost just 10 games in her first three matches, and in her semifinal match against Oksana Selekhmeteva, she clawed back from 6-1 down in a second-set tiebreak to win 6-3 7-6 (6).  

Defense wins Volynets’ second big championship

Before a crowd of 1,176 at the University of Pennsylvania, Volynets extended the rallies and watched Valentova rack up unforced errors. The Czech couldn’t get into a rhythm when returning, as Volynets spun her first serves in with relatively little speed. 

Leading 5-1, Valentova was able to break back and put pressure on the American. But Volynets closed out the opener 6-3, and quickly raced up a break in the second set. Leading 2-1 in the second set, Valentova took an off-court medical timeout. After play resumed, the Czech stepped up, hitting a passing shot winner to break back.

Neither player could consistently hold serve in the second set, though the American did land 80% of her first serves in during the match. Volynets won arguably the best point of the match, up 6-3 4-3, returning an overhead and firing a powerful backhand. However, she quickly lost serve, and Valentova edged closer to forcing a decider. 

The Czech struggled to control her groundstrokes late in the match, and Volynets’ consistency paid off. She hit a backhand return winner to break in the tenth game, and held easily in her final service game.

During Valentova’s second-set medical timeout, a lively emcee announced to the crowd that the Ennoble Care Philly Open would make a return to the 2027 WTA calendar. The tournament marked a significant tennis revival in a major United States city; until this week, there had been no tennis tournament in Philadelphia since 2005.

The week before the US Open has often featured some unconventional tournaments; there was a WTA 250 in the Bronx, scrapped after its only edition in 2019, and a WTA 250 in Cleveland held from 2021 to 2025. The only other WTA tour-level event this week was the WTA 500 in Monterrey.

Volynets, when asked about playing in Philadelphia, said she “got the vibe of playing at home,” and praised the crowd for their respect and tennis knowledge.

“I hope to take that into the US Open and still feel like I’m at home,” Volynets said.

The Last Word

Katie Volynets Wins Photo Credit: Andreas Pelekis

Who’s next for Volynets? With the 2026 US Open set to begin Sunday, she’ll have to get to New York ahead of a Monday first-round match against Linda Noskova.

Noskova, the 2026 Wimbledon champion, hasn’t been at her best since lifting her first Grand Slam trophy, though the Czech only has two losses to players ranked outside the Top 75 in the last two years, according to Tennis Abstract.

The pair will face off on Court 11, one of the smaller courts on the New York grounds, giving the American another taste of home-court atmosphere at her home Grand Slam. Volynets is projected to rise to No. 78 in the newest rankings; she was ranked outside the Top 100 earlier this summer.

Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

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